Jefferson County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Jefferson County, Georgia has a population of 15,341 across 526 square miles, down 4.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $728.9 m in 2024, 326 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $3.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Jefferson County
How many people live in Jefferson County
- Population15,341
- Households5,751
- Average household size2.67
- Median household income$53,014
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$731 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$105,400
- Home value to household income2.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,456
- Population under 183,462
- Share under 1822.6 percent
- Population 65 and over2,865
- Share 65 and over18.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,014
- Civilian labor force6,908
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties108th of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2138th
Jefferson County is the 108th largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 2.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.6 percent against 18.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jefferson County
Is Jefferson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-4.39 percent
- Census 2020 base population15,709
- Births, 2024174
- Deaths, 2024286
- Natural change, 2024-112
- Net domestic migration, 2024-97
- Net international migration, 202418
- Total net migration, 2024-79
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-234
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2936th
The county has lost 4.39 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Jefferson County
Where people moving to Jefferson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving281
- People arriving, from those returns585
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$40,598
- Largest single originJefferson County Non-migrants (5,378 households)
- Largest single destination (5,378 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County Non-migrants | 5,378 | 11,110 | $406.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 126 | 246 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 52 | 107 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 52 | 107 | $2.5 m |
| Richmond County | 46 | 89 | $1.2 m |
| Columbia County | 36 | 97 | $2.8 m |
| McDuffie County | 21 | 46 | $818,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Jefferson County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Jefferson County
What the Jefferson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$728.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$708.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.9 percent
- GDP change over five years24.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Georgia counties95th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2103rd
- GDP per resident$47,514
Output grew 2.9 percent in the latest year and 24.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Jefferson County
Who employs people in Jefferson County
- Covered employment, annual average4,888
- Establishments reporting407
- Average annual pay$49,321
- Average weekly wage$948
- Sector 31-33, employment990
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$60,377
- Sector 44-45, employment626
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$25,122
- Sector 23, employment262
- Sector 23, average annual pay$54,738
- Sector 56, employment237
- Sector 56, average annual pay$35,665
- Sector 42, employment146
- Sector 52, employment103
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 990 | 40 | $60,377 |
| Sector 44-45 | 626 | 60 | $25,122 |
| Sector 23 | 262 | 43 | $54,738 |
| Sector 56 | 237 | 20 | $35,665 |
| Sector 42 | 146 | 10 | $45,930 |
| Sector 52 | 103 | 16 | $68,653 |
| Sector 81 | 83 | 21 | $29,732 |
| Sector 53 | 35 | 14 | $44,489 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 990 jobs, 20.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Jefferson County
What businesses operate in Jefferson County
- Establishments, all industries326
- Employment at those establishments4,046
- Annual payroll$191.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Jefferson County
What is being built in Jefferson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202423
- Declared construction value permitted$5.8 m
- Single family units authorised23
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$252,266
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jefferson County
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$371,478
- Median 7(a) approval$420,000
- 10th percentile approval$150,000
- 90th percentile approval$605,100
- Largest single approval$605,100
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)125
- Jobs per approval13.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer55.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals11.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderEmbassy National Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.5 m
- Average 504 approval$2,774,500
- Median 504 approval$5,073,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval20.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.4
- Most active CDCStatewide CDC, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$8.9 m
The average approval of $371,478 sits close to the median of $420,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 55.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jefferson County
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jefferson County
Which parts of Jefferson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Wrens, approvals5
- Wadley, approvals2
- STAPLETON, approvals1
- LOUISVILLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Wrens | 5 | $1,383,800 |
| Wadley | 2 | $1,186,100 |
| STAPLETON | 1 | $499,000 |
| LOUISVILLE | 1 | $274,400 |
Wrens accounts for 5 approvals against 2 in Wadley. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jefferson County
How big is Jefferson County
- Land area526 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties18th of 159
- Width, east to west24.9 mi
- Height, north to south38 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land29
- Establishments per square mile0.62
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Jefferson County
What hazards affect Jefferson County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Jefferson County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Jefferson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population15,341
- Households5,751
- Average household size2.67
- Median household income$53,014
- Median age40.9
Common questions
Jefferson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jefferson County, Georgia?
15,341, in 5,751 households, ranking 108th of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jefferson County growing?
The population has fallen 4.39 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 174 births against 286 deaths, with net migration of -79. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$53,014. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $105,400, which is 2.0 times income, and median gross rent is $731 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Jefferson County?
326 establishments, employing 4,046 people with an annual payroll of $191.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Jefferson County?
Average annual pay is $49,321, or $948 a week, across 4,888 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County?
9 7(a) approvals totalling $3.3 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $420,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $5.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Jefferson County?
23 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $5.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jefferson County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Jefferson County come from?
The largest single origin is Jefferson County Non-migrants, with 5,378 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,598 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Jefferson County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Jefferson County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.